We have always thought that in the end of the 70’s, the music was in the middle of a Revolution fighted in the streets of London and New York, where the Punk movement was supposed to change the music forever and blah blah blah…, nah…

That’s what they want us to believe.

As usual, the History is not written by the people, but by the capital, those who have the money and the power,  so the real Revolution in the music industry became in 1979 in Japan, in a perfect storm were Sony created the Walkman and Technics will launch the product that has supported the music until the end of the last century, becoming an instrument itself. We are talking, of course, about her majesty’s turntables SL-1200-MK2.

Technics began selling the SL-1200 in 1973, and New York-based proto-hip hop DJs like Grand Wizard Theodore and Afrika Bambaataa almost immediately began to creatively misuse the decks. They invented scratching when they found that the motor would continue to spin at the correct rpm even if the DJ wiggled the record back and forth on the platter, a perpetuation that found his perfect tool in 1979, with the launching of the SL-1200-MK2.

SL-1200-MK2.

A Bit of Context

To understand how these devices took root, we have to place them in the context of their time. The year 1979 was marked by upheaval and change. Globally, it was the year that Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Iranian Revolution reshaped the Middle East, and the world eradicated smallpox. Economically, Japan was on the rise, with bustling urban centers like Tokyo at the forefront of technological innovation and youth-driven cultural revolutions.

In the U.S., New York’s South Bronx was experiencing a different kind of revolution—one of sound and spirit. Abandoned buildings and economic downturns set the stage for creative outbursts that birthed hip-hop. The Walkman and DJ turntables arrived in a world hungry for new forms of self-expression, both serving as tools that would amplify the power of individual and collective voices.

Bronx, New York, 1970’s

How the Walkman and Turntables Revolutionised Music

In 1979, two groundbreaking pieces of technology burst onto the scene, forever altering how we experience music. Both innovations hailed from Japan, a nation in the midst of a vibrant cultural and economic boom. The Sony Walkman, which introduced the concept of personal, portable music, and the evolution of theTechnics SL-1200 (released in 1972), the Technics 1200 MK2 DJ turntable, a tool that laid the foundation for modern DJ culture. They weren’t just devices—they became symbols of a new era in music consumption and production. Together, these technologies didn’t just change how we listen to music but how we interact with it.

The Walkman: Music on the Go

When Sony released the Walkman, it redefined the relationship between listener and music. Prior to 1979, music was a communal experience—played on radios, record players, or home stereo systems, shared among family and friends. The Walkman allowed music to become intensely personal. 

A private moment with your favourite song, alone with your thoughts, transported to a different world.

For the first time, music lovers could carry their favourite tracks anywhere, creating their own soundscapes in parks, on trains, or while walking city streets. The Walkman didn’t just change where we could listen, but how we experienced music. Closing your eyes, letting the music wash over you, the songs became more than sounds—they were deeply immersive experiences, creating emotions and imagery that lingered long after the music stopped. This newfound portability would also inspire artists, with albums crafted to be not just heard but experienced on the go, becoming a soundtrack for everyday life. 

Along this process, the evolution of the electronic music and the improvement in the synthesizer’s technical quality and possibilities, allowed the appearance of new styles related with these new concepts of “personal consumption of the sound”. Ambient soundscapes and experimental electronics will be the perfect allies, together with the Walkman and the new habits, to illustrate the daily lives of thousands of human beings.

DJ Turntables: The Birth of Remix Culture

While the Walkman catered to the individual listener, the Technics DJ turntable spoke to collective energy—clubs, block parties, and the underground scenes of New York, where DJs transformed existing music into something entirely new. The late 1970s saw an explosion of hip-hop culture in the Bronx, and the DJ was its beating heart. Turntables allowed for scratching, beat juggling, and remixing, turning DJs into musicians in their own right.

Suddenly, the art of DJing wasn’t just about playing records—it was about creating new soundscapes. DJs could remix tracks on the fly, extending beats, layering songs, and turning the dance floor into an experience. The ability to manipulate vinyl allowed for creative freedom that formed the foundation of modern electronic music and birthed entire genres, from house to techno to hip-hop.

The DJ’s role shifted from simply playing music to becoming a cultural leader. At block parties and clubs, the DJ wasn’t just selecting records; they were shaping the entire night’s atmosphere. The rise of DJ culture connected communities and became a tool for social expression, especially for marginalised voices. Hip-hop, with its roots in the DJ scene, soon became a powerful movement for social change and cultural identity, a genre that spoke truth to power.

The Technology Behind the Revolution

At the heart of these innovations lay sophisticated technology. The Walkman was a marvel of engineering, shrinking bulky tape players into a handheld device without sacrificing sound quality. It gave people the freedom to listen privately, anywhere, without interrupting the world around them.

On the other hand, the DJ turntable’s innovation lay in how it could be used to manipulate music. Unlike conventional record players, which were designed for passive listening, DJ turntables allowed for active performance. The slip-cueing technique let DJs seamlessly transition between tracks, while scratching—a discovery made by accident—became an iconic sound in hip-hop.

Over time, these innovations snowballed. As DJs became more creative with turntables, new devices emerged—mixer boards, CDJs, and eventually, digital controllers—allowing for even greater experimentation. The turntable had set the stage for the future of live music performance.

Dj playing at Monegros Festival (Spain) with a 4 CDJ’s setup (Festival FB page)

The Impact on the Music Industry

The arrival of the Walkman and DJ turntables set off ripples across the music industry. Musicians, record labels, and producers had to adapt to this new world where music could be manipulated, remixed, and personalised. The rise of DJs also paved the way for the phenomenon of sampling, where pieces of old records were repurposed into new tracks, giving rise to entire subcultures like hip-hop.

As the Walkman introduced personal music listening, the DJ turntable nurtured collective music-making. Both innovations allowed artists and fans alike to engage with music in unprecedented ways. This era was the birthplace of sampling, remixing, and the rise of electronic music, which owes much of its DNA to the early innovations of DJ culture.

Cultural Significance: More Than Just Technology

Beyond the technical aspects, the cultural significance of the Walkman and turntables cannot be overstated. They were democratising forces, giving individuals and marginalised groups a way to express themselves through music. For many, music became a voice—whether it was the personal reflection allowed by the Walkman or the communal power found in the DJ scene.

The Walkman was more than a gadget; it represented freedom. Freedom from external noise, freedom from the need to share a listening space, and freedom to curate your own world through music. It helped birth the notion of soundtracks for daily life, the precursor to today’s playlists and streaming services, and generated the first mix-tapes, as a precursor of today’s digital playlist.

The turntable, meanwhile, was a tool for creativity and revolution. DJs used their platforms to amplify the voices of their communities, turning music into a form of activism. Hip-hop emerged as the voice of a generation, a musical genre that reflected the struggles and triumphs of urban life, especially in Black and Latino communities in the U.S. Even Though, Sound system culture began in Jamaica, where DJs (selectors) played American R&B records on custom-built speakers. This culture became integral to outdoor parties (“dance-halls”) and laid the foundation for DJing, remixes, and sound system culture in general, the technical evolution of the SL 1200 MK2, allows a substantive step ahead on the DJ experience, also reformulated by the hip-hop and the first steps of turntablism.

Cash Money (USA) – DMC World Champion 1988 — Winning Set

Personal Reflections: The Love of Music and the Craft

Reflecting on these two iconic devices, it’s clear they both played crucial roles in shaping the way we experience music today. As a lover of vinyl records and DJ amateur during many years, I was often reminded of the ritualistic nature of music. From the careful placing of the needle to the gentle hum of the record player, music was more than just background noise—it was a craft, a form of art to be respected.

Technology has evolved since then, with streaming platforms and digital music libraries making music more accessible than ever before. But there’s still something special about the tactile experience of vinyl, about the Walkman’s ability to transform a city walk into a cinematic experience, or the way a DJ can turn a party into a cultural movement. These devices remind us that music isn’t just something we consume—it’s something that is part of our lives.

A Lasting Legacy for the Digital Era

The Sony Walkman and Technics DJ turntables weren’t just revolutionary in their time; they continue to influence how we interact with music today. They provided the groundwork for our modern understanding of music as both a deeply personal and profoundly communal experience. As technology continues to evolve, one thing remains clear: the love for music, fuelled by innovation and creativity, will always push culture forward.

How do you feel these moments observed from the distance of the digital era?

Don’t hesitate to leave your comments. I will be happy to read your ideas and chat about it.

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